


stars like midnight snow

by nautilicious



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas, Friendship, Gen, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Paladin Bond, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 09:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nautilicious/pseuds/nautilicious
Summary: A quiet moment on the observation deck.





	stars like midnight snow

**Author's Note:**

> Because my friend[ set up a ficlet challenge](http://missdaviswrites.tumblr.com/post/167644180668/sherlock-december-ficlets) and I liked the prompts.
> 
> Set sometime in Season 2.

Shiro finds Pidge on the observation deck. Pidge has their arms tucked around their knees, the reflection of the starfield outside the window twinkling in their glasses.

"Are you okay?" Shiro asks. The weight of recent events burdens them all: the battles, the whirlwind of plans and explorations; the frustrations and the victories. But Shiro suspects that Pidge has come to be alone, brooding in the dim light, because the latest lead about Matt didn't pan out.

"I lose track of time here," Pidge says. "Sometimes it helps."

Shiro sits. Says nothing. On certain topics -- engineering, theories, Lance's behavior -- Pidge's words run like water over stones. But feelings? Pidge keeps the tumult in their head. Shiro will have to wait. 

He doesn't mind. The stars, endless and bright, remind him of midnight snow, pinpricks of light sparkling in the darkness. _kirakira_ , he thinks, hearing it in his grandmother's voice. Somehow she'd always managed to get ahead of him on the long, cold walk up the hill behind her house. She led him to the sky, every winter, sharing her quiet delight in the stars, until the moon rose and the snow blanketed the path. 

"It's December back on Earth," Pidge says, echoing a thought Shiro has barely begun to form. 

"Winter is my favorite season," Shiro offers.

"Mine too," Pidge says, slanting a half-smile at him. "But it never snows back home. I like how you feel about snow."

Shiro leans back, braces himself on his hands. The connection between the Paladins isn't usually this palpable, outside of forming Voltron. And they rarely have a calm moment in which to explore it. He lets himself sink into it. He and Pidge resonate, a shared longing for winter soothed by the beauty of the stars outside. 

In Shiro's head, Pidge feels like a part of him. Wistful around the edges, just like Shiro. 

"I miss Christmas," Pidge says. "We celebrated it secularly, but we made a big deal about it."

Shiro nods. His Christmases in Japan were like that, too. He feels a whisper of an idea, a crazy, holiday-movie-notion of setting up a big Paladin festivus, but Pidge shakes their head.

"No, it would make it worse. Without." Pidge shrugs. 

Shiro knows what they meant. Without Pidge's family. Without any of the Paladins' families.

"I shudder to think of how the Alteans would interpret the holiday," he says.

That makes Pidge laugh. "Can you imagine what Coran might come up with for a Christmas tree? Or Hunk's holiday meal?"

Shiro wants nothing more than to wrap Pidge into a big hug, but he can tell that Pidge is having a no-touching day. He mirrors Pidge's pose instead, his arms wrapped around his legs.

"We'll find them," he says.

Pidge nods. "I know."

It's the season of hope, back on Earth. He lets himself remember it: the excitement of the winter holidays, the fellowship of family and friends, the generosity and felicity of the season. He tries to send those feelings down the Paladin bond, to let Pidge rest in a place of happiness, even if it's for just one moment.

He feels Pidge receive it, feels something deep inside each of them relax. 

Pidge knocks their shoulder against Shiro's. "Thanks, Shiro."

Shiro smiles, returns the pressure. The stars spin like falling snow.


End file.
